Fall Out
by LightningStruckBlackDog
Summary: I'm trying not to break.Cause if I break, I can't be fixed. Never again. [A Lilly story]
1. Chapter 1

Hello amazing readers.

I understand that I haven't updated any of my stories, but don't worry I will.

The thing with me is that the first chapters of stories come so easily to me, but it's continuing them that's the problem. An so, once again, I'm putting up a new story. It's called Fall Out.

It's got a different story line. And so I'm posting this introduction sort of thingy, which will hopefully clear up whatever doubts you may have.

This story is called Fall Out. It's so titled because Lilly and Miley have a fight some time ago, breaking all bonds and severing all ties. In short, they aren't friends anymore. Oliver of course, sides with Lilly.

The Jonas Brothers play important characters in this story. Only in this, they aren't brothers.

So here's a sort of character list I've drawn up:

1)Lilly Truscott- protagonist of this story. 16.

2) Miley Stewart/ Hannah Montana- victim of a kidnapping, along with brother Jackson. 16.

3) Oliver Oken- best friend of Lilly Truscott. 16.

4) Nick Truscott ( Nick Jonas )- older brother of Lilly. 17. Love interest of one of the characters.

5) Joe Green- goes to Lilly's school. Had some connection with the Malibu trio. 16. Love interest is one of the main characters.

6) Kevin Green- graduate of Sea View High. 18. Older brother of Joe. Peacemaker.

And there obviously will be others. They're just not that important.

Enough of my rant. Enjoy the story.


	2. Breaking News

"Here, hold this.", I say, handing my brother tonight's desert. I remove the keys from its place in the ignition, and unlock my door.

I step out into the night, the cool breeze teasing my locks. Frustrated I pull my hair back into a ponytail. My windswept bangs are now a tangled mess. I heave a sigh.

Gathering up the numerous grocery bags from the backseat, I join my brother on the porch of our, no _his_ house. He rings the doorbell twice; _ding, __diiiiing_

While we wait for Selma to answer the door, he offers to take a few paper bags, to lighten up my load. I refuse, saying I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle. He shrugs and starts whistling 'The World Is Black'.

I smile. I love that song.

"Sing along.", he says.

I shake my head; no.

"Aww, come on. I'll sing along with you."

And he starts-" _Turn__ to channel seven at a quarter to eight. You see the same damn thing, it's __just __a different day_- come on Lilly. You know the words."

_"And no one really knows why it's happening. But it's __happeneing__."_ He's very persuasive.

He grins and continues singing along with me-_" And__ everywhere you go it's just a different place, you get the sam__e dark feeling, see the same __sad faces, no one really cares that this is happening."_

The front door suddenly opens. A short, plump, old lady, with a childish face and a lovable smile stands there, her small stubby hands around her waist; Selma.

"What in God's name were you two doing?"

The two of us burst into peals of laughter. "We were singing Selma. Singing." I say in between giggles.

Selma rolls her eyes. "What you call singing, I call braying. And-"

"And what we call songs, you call noise." My brother finishes for her. "We know Selma, we know."

"Good.", Selma says, coming out onto the porch to help me with the groceries.

She walks into my brothers 3 floor mansion. The kitchen is on the other side of the first floor, overlooking the outdoor pool.

I follow Selma into the massive open kitchen, and place the grocery bags on the granite counter with a _thud._I wipe my forehead and walk towards the refrigerator. I pull open the door and my eyes scan the fridge for something to drink.

Celery, some left over ribs, tuna, 4 bottles of beer, and, ah, chocolate milk.

I pull out the carton of chocolate milk and walk over to one of the many cabinets. I pull out a glass and pour the milk into it. I down the milk in 4 seconds.

Refreshed and slightly less tired, I walk back towards the living room, where Nick is watching TV.

"Anything worth watching?", I ask. I set down the glass of chocolate milk I poured for him on the glass table in front of us. I throw myself on the comfortable leather couch, and I let myself sink.

I turn to Nick, waiting for him to respond. He sees me looking at him and he starts grinning. "What?", I ask.

He shakes his head. "Nothing."

I roll my eyes. "Anything good on TV?", I ask again.

"Nah. Some crappy movies. No games tonight. Let's see what's happening in the world." He puts on CNN.

The anchorman is in the midst of a long winded report on a supposed meteor attack. _"Brian is currently with Professor Burt __Kuhn__. Let's join him there, shall we? Hello? Hello, Brian, can you hear me?"_ Brian, over at an observatory, puts his hand to his ear, nods once at the camera and- "_Loud and clear Robert. __Loud and clear."_ He smiles at the camera.

Robert, over at the studio, chuckles. I guess they just shared a joke between them. _"You are currently with Prof. Kuhn. What are his views on the foretold approach of the__ Meteor X?" _

Once again Brian nods once at the camera. _"Uh, details are a bit sketchy Brian. Prof. Kuhn has been very, uh, vague with the information. However, he as well as the rest of his team here at __Nodia__ Observatory, __have__ confirmed the attack. They say the meteor, which has been named Meteor X, is currently circling Earth's orbit. And it is only a matter of days when the meteor will actually enter the atmosphere. But, according to the extensive research that has been made, if the meteor does hit the surface of Earth, the amount of damage would not be much. The size of the meteor after burning up upon __arrival,__ will be no bigger than a very small car. Of course, this is merely an assumption, and should uh, not be testified against if wrong. __Back to you Robert.__"_

_"Well, that was, uh quite interesting. __Thank you Brian.__ We'll be back. Please stay with us."_

Nick lets out a long whistle. "So it doesn't really matter whether I flunk 12th grade or not, cause we're all going to end up dying anyway. Life's good." He puts his arms behind his head and places his long legs on top of the glass table.

"Um. Sorry to burst you're bubble, Nick, but according to the report, the size of that meteor is no bigger than a clown car. And we also don't know where its going to fall. It could fall on India for all we know. We in America wouldn't even know the meteor hit Earth." I said, trying to control my laughter.

His expression changed from one of blissful happiness to one of pure annoyance. "Damn."

I roll my eyes and turn my gaze back to the TV screen. Robert has gone and has been replaced by a young woman, probably in her mid twenties.

_"Good evening folks. I __hope__ you're having a pleasant Saturday night. My __name is Anna Yodel and you are watching The Great Debate. For tonight's debate topic, we have chosen the ever popular 'Battle of the Sexes.' In today's segment the pre-chosen candidates will be debating over __who__ the weaker sex is and who is the most dominating. It promises to be a very feisty de-"_she cuts off. Her hand immediately flies to her ear. She visibly pales. She nods once, twice, a countless times. And at long last she faces the camera again. She clears her throat. _"I am really sorry to have cut off like that, but tonight's segment of The Great Debate will be postponed until further notice. I am sorry to be the bearer of news, but this has just come in. There has been a very big accident. __A limousine __reportedly __carrying__ famed teen pop sensation Hannah Montana and her brother, has been shot at by an unidentified masked man. The limousine driver has been shot in the __head. It was instant death. Miss Montana and her brother have disappeared. The police are searching all over for the two teenagers. Meanwhile a witness reports that-"_

"Turn it off.", I say, my voice in a whisper, quavering, threatening to break. A hundred bricks couldn't have hit me harder. I'm sweating, my hands clammy, my neck itching.

My heart is beating so hard. I feel so vulnerable.

"M-Miley?", I call out.

And suddenly I'm drowning…

* * *

I'm sitting in my room. My guitar on my lap. I close my eyes and try to focus. My hands brush over the strings softly. I hum. 

Inspiration. I need inspiration. Where is it? Why has it deserted me? I look around me. Mom's right, my room would put a pigsty to shame.

Inspiration won't find me. Not here. I get up, guitar and notebook in tow. I walk out of my sanctuary, closing the door behind me.

I meet Kevin on the stairs. "Where are you off to?", he asks.

"I'm off to write a new song." I reply, and I storm down.

"Good luck.", he calls out.

I thank him.

I'm out. I'm heading towards the park.

Once there, I sit myself on one of the swings. I let the wind take over me; my mind, my soul.

Ah, hello Inspiration. I've found you, haven't I?

**_there's a reason Lilly lives with her brother. something you'll find out later on. hope you liked this. and _You Do, I Don't _readers, dont worry, i'm updating today. _**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_Cheers_**

**_me_**


	3. Sway

Chapter 2: Sway

I'm sitting in my room. My guitar on my lap. I close my eyes and try to focus. My hands brush over the strings softly. I hum.

Inspiration. I need inspiration. Where is it? Why has it deserted me? I look around me. Mom's right, my room would put a pigsty to shame.

Inspiration won't find me. Not here. I get up, guitar and notebook in tow. I walk out of my sanctuary, closing the door behind me.

I meet Kevin on the stairs. "Where are you off to?", he asks.

"I'm off to write a new song." I reply, and I storm down.

"Good luck.", he calls out.

I thank him.

I'm out. I'm heading towards the park.

Once there, I sit myself on one of the swings. I let the wind take over me; my mind, my soul.

Ah, hello Inspiration. I've found you, haven't I?

_Little girl, who do you think you're fooling? (Not me, not me.)_

_Little girl, grow up, and taste life. (I'll show you the way.)_

_Take my __hand,__ take a breath, close your eyes, and sway. _

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Swaay__aay_

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Just… sway._

I open my eyes. I contemplate over the song. The words, the melody. I like it. I do.

I go over the tune. Again and again and again, faster and slower and more upbeat, until I've got it down pat. I strum my guitar in perfect melody, in proper time. It sounds good. I nod to myself. I'm satisfied.

I look around me. The parks deserted save a few noisy three year olds, running around, chasing each other, not a care in the world. Their mothers look at them and laugh, and discuss how 'adorable' and how 'gifted' their teeter tots are. A few kids are jump roping, doing the double-dutch and what not. I've seen 'Jump In!', I know the terms.

Everywhere I look, I see happiness. It's hanging like a cloud, hovering, just refusing to let go. The rays of sunlight, penetrating through the white, fluffy, piece of suspended cotton, shines brightly, adding to the joy.

I want to experience this feeling. I'm trying my best. But I can't. I just cannot. I want to smile, I want to laugh, I want to joke, I want to jest. I want to smirk and I want to grin. I want to be able to throw my head back and guffaw like there's no tomorrow. But I … I can't. Not after what happened. Not anymore.

So I content myself by watching others. Staring; observing. I know its freaky, but it's the closest I have to happiness.

I hear a sudden uproar, and I look up. They jump roping kids must have shared a joke. _Good for them_, I muse. _Good for them._

I decide I've had enough happy. I start to pack my things; (my guitar, my notebook, my pencil, and my iPod). I finish securing my pencil firmly in the spirals of my pad, and get off the swing; ready to leave.

I hear a soft, small, and sincere sob. It's sudden and it's barely audible. But I hear it, and suddenly it's gone.

I shrug, I dismiss it. I start to walk.

There! There it is again. Somewhere in the bushes. It's coming from the bushes.

Am I imagining it again? Am I going mad?

No, there it is again. Faint, short, choked. But its there…

This time I'm sure. I haven't lost my mind.

I retrace my steps. I walk towards the thorny bush. I pull apart the branches. "Uh, hello?" I ask.

I hear a gasp. A whimper. Scuttling of feet. Someone trying to run away.

Who? Where is this person? I must stop him. Or her.

I call out. "No. Don't leave. I'm just making sure you're okay. You don't have to be frightened. Um, are you…there?"

A twig snaps behind me. I turn around.

My eyes widen… I'm in shock.

* * *

_Flashback:_

They've been bickering a lot lately. Over little things. It's always this and it's always that. And I sit and I watch them, and I wonder. How did we become like this? _Why?_How did everything we have suddenly disappear? Just like that… _poof_ .

And I find myself in the middle. Every single time.

I always listen to Lilly's side of the story first. I nod, I understand. I evaluate, I justify. And then it's Miley's turn. They both narrate similar versions, except in their respective stories the other girl is the bad guy. After I hear both sides, I keep quiet and I think. Who's right? Who's wrong? Will they get through this? Or will we slowly break?

I don't know. I never do. But I pretend; it does us good.

And so I'm pretending once again. I'm pretending their fight isn't stupid, pretending I know what to do. But I don't… and it's killing me, this pretence. I sigh.

* * *

I raise an eyebrow. They're very quiet. It's weird; they're not at each other's throats. I scratch my head, I'm confused. 

I clear my throat, they look up. They look sad, empty. Their eyes are red and puffy. Their faces are streaked with the faint lines of receding tears. What's going on?

"Err, are- are you two okay?" What else am I supposed to say?

Miley shakes her head; no.

Lilly points to an empty space next to her on the couch. _Come_ _sit_.

I do as she indicates. I look at Miley then Lilly, trying so desperately to read their expressions.

But their faces are blank; I find out nothing.

I wait for them to talk.

Silence.

Miley sways slightly, back and forth, to and fro.

And then Lilly croaks. "She blames me."

_End_ _flashback_.

**_The flashback was in Oliver's POV. _**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_Cheers_**

**_me_**


	4. Lampless

**just 2 reviews for the past chapter. I'm disappointed :(. BUT I won't give up. Not yet. **

Chapter 3: Lampless

I close my eyes, trying to shut out the searing pain. Trying, trying…

The bathroom floor feels cold beneath my butt. But the blood that's oozing from the cut feels warm. Funny, how you can feel heat and cold at the same time.

I dig the knife edge deeper into my skin. Deeper, deeper, _deeper, _until a sudden jolt of pain snaps me back to realization.

What am I doing?

_Cutting __yourself_

But why? What for?

_For you.__ You're sanity. You know this is a shock Lilly, so why are you trying to run from it? Why are you trying to make things worse? _

I'm… I'm not trying to do anything. I'm not running.

_You can go on telling yourself that, but we both know the truth. This is about her isn't it?_

Yes. (A throaty whisper, tears threatening to fall.)

_Do you honestly think she'd have wanted you to cut yourself?_

I don't know what she'd have wanted me to do. I don't… I don't know anything anymore. (I shake my head. My heads reeling, the world's spinning.)

_You don't know what she'd have wanted you to do? This is about the fight isn't it? Come on Lilly. You're guilty. _

(The depression and feeling of pathos morphs suddenly to anger and rage.) How dare you bring that up? Don't you think I feel bad as it is? LEAVE ME ALONE.

_That's not possible __deary__. You're stuck with me._

Who are you? Who the FUCK _are_you?

_Lillian Truscott, this is your heart talking._

* * *

I hear a soft, small, and sincere sob. It's sudden and it's barely audible. But I hear it, and suddenly it's gone.

I shrug, I dismiss it. I start to walk.

There! There it is again. Somewhere in the bushes. It's coming from the bushes.

Am I imagining it again? Am I going mad?

No, there it is again. Faint, short, choked. But its there…

This time I'm sure. I haven't lost my mind.

I retrace my steps. I walk towards the thorny bush. I pull apart the branches. "Uh, hello?" I ask.

I hear a gasp. A whimper. Scuttling of feet. Someone trying to run away.

Who? Where is this person? I must stop him. Or her.

I call out. "No. Don't leave. I'm just making sure you're okay. You don't have to be frightened. Um, are you…there?"

A twig snaps behind me. I turn around.

My eyes widen… I'm in shock.

She's standing in front of me. I recognize her immediately.

"Lilly? Are you okay?", I question the sobbing girl.

_Of course she isn't. __Joe you oaf._

She looks up. Her eyes, which used to be crystal orbs of bright and dazzling blue, are now pale, a lighter hue.

Hey, that rhymes!

I shake my head. _Not now Joe, she needs you._

And suddenly she starts crying.

I look around.

People are staring.

I flush.

I don't know what to do.

_Pat her back. Comfort her. Do something Joseph._

I walk up to her. I lift my hand to her face. With my thumb I gently wipe away her tears.

And then I freeze. I don't know where this is coming from. I'm touching her, TOUCHING her for God's sake. I quickly pull back.

Her dainty hand goes up, and she touches her face, shock evidently etched on her face.

"Sorry", I mumble, looking at the ground.

"It's alright." She pauses. "Thanks."

"Do you want to talk about it?", I ask her, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Her eyes suddenly narrow, her face suddenly darkens. Looks like I've made a mistake.

She shakes her head, her blonde locks flying about. "Not yet." She whispers, looking at me.

I nod. Whenever she's ready.

For now I'll satisfy myself by talking about rainbows and ponies. At least it'll get a giggle out of her.

* * *

I knock, once, twice, eight times. 

Short, rapt knocks.

She opens the door faster than you can say "Dingdong" and ushers me in.

She sits on her bed.

I walk in and pull up a chair beside her.

"The police have no lead.", she tells me, her voice quavering, the dam about to burst.

"What about suspects?"

She moves her head from left to right and back again. "Nothing."

And the wall has broken. The water pours out.

I get up with such force that her chair falls backwards. But I don't care. I sit beside her and pull her close to me.

"She's gone Oliver. She's gone.", she repeats over and over again, her mouth against my shoulder.

"We'll find her. She'll be alright." I console.

But she knows I don't mean it.

* * *

I'm sitting in my room again, on the bay window. 

My notebook's open, the pages blank, naked, staring at me.

My pencil's resting on top of my right ear. My hands resting on my guitar.

I look out of my window and watch the sunset. Such a pleasant sight. The horizon is a thin black line. Above it, a vibrant shade of yellow. The yellow then turns to orange, and then bypassing the orange, a dull red. Streaks of pink and purple complete the scenic picture. Except it is not a picture; it is real.

And then the sun disappears, the light goes out, and we're enveloped in the darkness.

Hello dear night.

I pull on the cord which is connected to the dim bulb in the bay window. Faint orange light surrounds me. And I begin to sing…

_I picked a blue lotus, for you. __( For__ you)_

_For you, little girl, just you.__ (Just you)_

_So take it from my hands… please do._

_This world, it's so black._

_No light, not even a little lamp._

_Evil pouring from here and there…_

_… __it's__ not fair._

_Oh, no, it isn't fair._

_Little girl, who do you think you're fooling? (Not me, not me.)_

_Little girl, grow up, and taste life. (I'll show you the way.)_

_Take my __hand,__ take a breath, close your eyes, and sway. _

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Swaay__aay_

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Just… sway._

"Sounds good.", Kevin says, leaning against my door.

I look at my older brother. "Thanks."

"You've got a call."

I raise an eyebrow; no one ever calls me. "Who is it?"

"Lilly."

And for a reason unfathomable to me, my heart soars.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**starcrossed.emma:** I'm glad you liked the song. and no, it's not a JB song. I made it up. I've included more of it in this chapter for you :D. hope you like it!

**I'm a friggin Pokemon master:** thanks! and you don't have to wait anymore..

**_well, this chapter surprisingly didnt take me that long to write. just 20 minutes. maybe that's why it sucks so much_. **

**_you know the drill..._**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_Cheers_**

**_me_**


	5. Red

**I don't know why I'm not getting ANY reviews for this story. :(**

**I'm terribly disappointed by the response I'm getting, BUT since I like writing this story, I'm not giving it up. **

Chapter 4: Red

Who are you? Who the FUCK _are_you?

_Lillian Truscott, this is your heart talking._

I groan inwardly. My heart's long gone. There's a hole in my chest now, a reminder of why everything went wrong…

But I must not think about it.

Not now.

Not ever.

I walk towards the basin. The cut is pretty deep; the blood won't cease to flow.

Red.

Red everywhere.

On my arm.

On the bathroom floor.

On my clothes.

I can even smell the blood.

I retch.

I look at myself in the mirror.

I'm a mess.

My hair sticks to my scalp, just refusing to let go.

The girl I see staring back at me is a ghost of the girl I once used to be.

No smile on her face.

No twinkle in her eye.

Nothing.

I shake my head.

I put my hand under the water and let the pain take over me.

Because sometimes pain is the only thing you have left.

And I watch my blood mix with the water.

And I look at the cut.

And I wonder whether this is all worth it…

* * *

And the wall has broken. The water pours out. 

I get up with such force that her chair falls backwards. But I don't care. I sit beside her and pull her close to me.

"She's gone Oliver. She's gone.", she repeats over and over again, her mouth against my shoulder.

"We'll find her. She'll be alright." I console.

But she knows I don't mean it.

She looks up. Her eyes meet mine. She looks so broken, so fragile.

"You don't mean it. Look me in the eye and tell me everything's going to be okay."

I open my mouth, and wait for the words. But they don't come. How can they? How can I lie to her? How can I give her assurance when I myself know things aren't going to be okay?

Because they aren't.

Never again.

* * *

"Sounds good.", Kevin says, leaning against my door. 

I look at my older brother. "Thanks."

"You've got a call."

I raise an eyebrow; no one ever calls me. "Who is it?"

"Lilly."

And for a reason unfathomable to me, my heart soars.

I throw my guitar (gently of course) onto my bed and push Kevin aside.

What is this feeling? Where has this excitement suddenly come from? Why am I feeling so… elevated? Like nothing can stop me, nothing can pull me down. I feel so free; like a little bird.

It's with these thoughts that I pick up the phone and put on my deepest voice.

"Hello?"

"Joe. Hey, it's me." She pauses, "Lilly."

Her voice is so… angelic. Whatever illness I have, I know that her voice will always cure it. (Cliché, I know.)

And my hearts beating hard, my heads becoming light, I want to sit down.

"I know. What's up?" I try sounding casual.

"Nothing. I just called to thank you. For this afternoon. You made me feel a whole lot better."

Oh.

That's all.

She wants to thank me.

Nothing else.

My heart suddenly stops beating, my head suddenly feels heavy.

"You don't have to thank me for anything Lilly. I'm just glad I could help."

I hear her chuckle on the other end. It's a chuckle, nothing special. But my heart starts beating hard once again.

"I'm glad too. So, uh, I'll catch you later?"

It sounds like a question. She's questioning. Not stating. Questioning.

"I guess?"

"Okay good. Bye Joe."

"Bye."

And she hangs up.

And the dial tone comes on…

* * *

_Flashback_: 

Laughter.

"Catch me."

And she's running.

And she suddenly leaps.

I catch her.

"Oh my God. It worked! It actually worked Oliver!"

"Wow you guys. That was excellent. Now show me the step after that.", Miley says.

Lilly nods.

We're practicing our dance routine. Again.

The charity show is tomorrow night, and Lilly's totally been stressing out.

But we've got the dance down pat. So there's nothing to worry about.

I smile. Good times, good times.

"Hey Oliver", Lilly calls.

I snap out of my reverie. I look up at the blonde. "Hmm?"

"Let's switch positions. You run and I'll catch you okay?"

"I don't think you can take my weight."

"Oh pish posh. Run."

And I run.

And she… fails to catch me.

We land in a heap on the floor.

But we don't care.

We're laughing.

And I smile to myself.

Oliver, Lilly and Miley.

Best Friends Forever.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**loliverislove: thanks for the review. and i have.**

**LaughLove254: thank you so much!**

**Boi H8er: you'll have to keep reading to find out I'm afraid. Lol. **

**starcrossed.emma: i hate logging in. and i loved writing the first part too. thanks soo much for you're amazing review! **


	6. Darkness

Chapter 5: Darkness

"Okay good. Bye Joe."

"Bye."

And she hangs up.

And the dial tone comes on…

I stare at the phone.

I've never felt so… dejected.

So ashamed.

So stupid.

So humiliated.

I'm an idiot for believing something could have happened.

An idiot.

Her face floats into view.

I shake my head.

I try to rid myself of all thought, especially those pertaining to her.

An idiot…

* * *

Her head rests on the cold window of my car. 

She's staring out, at the numerous houses we're driving past.

No talking. She's subjected herself to quiet, and quiet only.

I look at her worriedly.

She looks broken. She's taking Miley's loss very seriously.

I turn my attention back onto the road.

It's late. It's dark.

The headlights of my car are on. The light shows us the way, in long beams of receding glow.

We seem to be the only vehicle out on the road.

Good for us.

I take a right. We enter a long winding path; familiar, yet suddenly new.

"How do you think he's doing?"

Her eyes flutter open. "Mr. Stewart?", her whisper sounding loud in the ghostly silence.

"Yeah."

She doesn't say anything. Instead she stares out into the night, her gaze solid, set and steady.

I sigh. "Look, he's not going to care. It's not important. Not now. Not anymore."

She chokes. She turns to look at me. Her eyes glint, her lower lip trembles. "How do you know he doesn't care about that? How Oliver? How do you know that the second we walk in through that door he isn't going to accuse me of what happened to his daughter?"

"I don't. But he won't. He's lost too much recently. He won't bring that up."

"How can you be sure? How can you be so damn sure Oliver?"

That questioning, that doubt. I don't like it.

"Lilly, listen to me. His children have been kidnapped. They might even be dead. We don't know. We don't know anything. But I _do_ know that the old man doesn't give a _fuck_ about what happened between you and Miley. Not when he might have lost her for good. He isn't going to hold that against you. It doesn't matter now. Do you get it?"

I see fear in her eyes. She's scared. I frightened her.

"I'm sorry, Lilly. I didn't mean to…" I cut off.

"Poor Jackson. He doesn't deserve this. Neither of them does."

"I know, Lil. But we have to be strong, okay? We're going to have to be strong and we're going to have to fight."

She shakes her head. "This doesn't make any sense. No freaking sense at all."

I chuckle. "Nothing ever does."

And I drive on, satisfied, that something, at least, is going to be alright.

* * *

_Flashback_: 

"Lilly?"

"Hey."

I open my door a little wider. I can't believe my eyes. Why the hell is my sister standing in front of me?

"Wh-what are you doing here? And… why do you have suitcases with you?"

She pushes past me and steps into my house. I struggle with her luggage. She closes the door behind me.

"What's happening Lilly?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing. Why would you think something's up?"

I look at her incredulously.

She sighs. "Look, I'm really tired okay? She was annoying the shit out of me and I just couldn't take it anymore. I've had a long day and I'd like nothing more to curl up in a soft bed and catch some Z's. We can talk tomorrow. Is that alright?"

I give her a small nod. "Come on, I'll show you where to crash. And leave your luggage here. I'll bring it up later."

* * *

"I'm not going back, Nick. Don't make me." 

"Lilly. She's your mom! Your mother for God's sake."

"She's your mother too. Don't give me this crap. I am not going back."

And she storms off, her blonde hair swinging behind her.

I let out a frustrated sigh. I run a hand through my hair. Why does she have to be so impossible? So hot headed? Can't she co-operate this one time?

Agitated, I follow her. And this time, I'm not taking no for an answer.

_End flashback._

* * *

"Why are you doing this?"

The guy in the shadows lets out a hollow laugh.

"Because, Hannah, may I call you Hannah?"

"As if what I say makes a difference to you."

Another laugh. "Yeah, your right. I'm doing this… because I _can_."

Hannah Montana scoffs. "Because you _can_? How is that answering my question?"

He steps out from the dark. He ruffles her blonde hair. "You, my dearest Miley, have a very long time to figure that out for yourself."

And his hand grips the side of her face. He bends down to plant a kiss on her forehead.

She pulls away. "Don't touch me.", my sister says.

He growls and backs off.

"Have a good night. Both of you."

He reaches for the switch and turns the light off.

And once again the darkness covers us.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Spencer-Sweetie: **thanks for your review. and you don't have to wait anymore :D

**starcrossed.emma again...: **it was a flashback, yeah. and i'm really sorry to hear about your friend. i hope she's better now.

**Jamie: **thanks. i've made it a point to meantion the speakers names in each part of the story. for example in the first part of this chapter i've included the lines "Okay good. Bye **Joe.**" which means the first part was written in Joe's POV. if your still confused yuo can ask me and i'll tell you who's POV it is, okay?

**Boi H8er: **thank you so much! and i hope there's some Loe too...lol. winks

**I'm a friggin Pokemon master: **aaaaaaaaaaah. i love you!! thanks so much!! this story is going to get sadder as we keep going. sigh. but i love sad angsty stories with good plot lines. so it's all god. hehe.

**OokamisFang: **i have absolutely NO idea about what you meant. sorry. but thanks for reviewing!


	7. Imperfect

Chapter 6: Imperfect

_Her head rests on the cold window of my car._

_She's staring out, at the numerous houses we're driving past._

_No talking. She's subjected herself to quiet, and quiet only._

_I look at her worriedly._

_She looks broken. She's taking Miley's loss very seriously._

_I turn my attention back onto the road._

_It's late. It's dark._

_The headlights of my car are on. The light shows us the way, in long beams of receding glow._

_We seem to be the only vehicle out on the road._

_Good for us._

_I take a right. We enter a long winding path; familiar, yet suddenly new._

"_How do you think he's doing?"_

_Her eyes flutter open. "Mr. Stewart?", her whisper sounding loud in the ghostly silence._

"_Yeah."_

_She doesn't say anything. Instead she stares out into the night, her gaze solid, set and steady._

_I sigh. "Look, he's not going to care. It's not important. Not now. Not anymore."_

_She chokes. She turns to look at me. Her eyes glint, her lower lip trembles. "How do you know he doesn't care about that? How Oliver? How do you know that the second we walk in through that door he isn't going to accuse me of what happened to his daughter?"_

"_I don't. But he won't. He's lost too much recently. He won't bring that up."_

"_How can you be sure? How can you be so damn sure Oliver?"_

_That questioning, that doubt. I don't like it._

"_Lilly, listen to me. His children have been kidnapped. They might even be dead. We don't know. We don't know anything. But I __do__ know that the old man doesn't give a __fuck__ about what happened between you and Miley. Not when he might have lost her for good. He isn't going to hold that against you. It doesn't matter now. Do you get it?"_

_I see fear in her eyes. She's scared. I frightened her._

"_I'm sorry, Lilly. I didn't mean to…" I cut off._

"_Poor Jackson. He doesn't deserve this. Neither of them does."_

"_I know, Lil. But we have to be strong, okay? We're going to have to be strong and we're going to have to fight."_

_She shakes her head. "This doesn't make any sense. No freaking sense at all."_

_I chuckle. "Nothing ever does."_

_And I drive on, satisfied, that something, at least, is going to be alright._

There's silence for a while

I keep glancing at Lilly, making sure she's okay.

"Lil?" I prod.

The sudden sound of my voice startles her. She looks at me, her wide eyes petrified.

"I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" I ask my delicate friend, vehemently cursing my loudness.

She laughs softly. Shaking her head furiously she says, "Oh no. I was just surprised to hear you speak. The silence was deafening. Don't worry about it. I'm okay. What's up?"

I smile in relief. "You can turn on the stereo if you want. It'll make the car journey a whole lot bearable."

She shakes her head again. "No. No music. Let's talk instead. We haven't done that in a really long time."

I nod. Good idea. Anything to distract her from the current situation. "What do you want to talk about?"

From the corner of my eye I see her faint silhouette shrug. "How have you been? How's Malibu?"

"I've been okay, I guess. Miss you every now and then." She laughs and takes my hand and squeezes it. Then she lets it go and tells me to continue. "I saw your mom the other day. She's fine too. Worried. Tired. But she's okay." I sigh. "Lilly. Come back. You've really upset her you know? And you've surprised us all."

She turns back to face the road. "Listen, Oliver." Her voice is cold, and filled with venom. "This is MY decision. I don't _care _if I've upset her. I don't _care_ if I've surprised you all. I just don't care. And nothing, _nothing_ you say, is going to make me come back. I hate her. I hate him. I hate that bloody place. I'm happy now. Nick treats me well. He's done well. So just forget it okay? Let's just… forget it. Please."

I let out a heavy breath. "Whatever you want, Lilly. But I've really missed you. At least come visit me. I can't stand not seeing you."

She takes my hand in hers again. "I'll think about it.", she says.

That's all I need.

* * *

_Flashback_:

"Lilly. LILLY!!" I scream banging cholerically on her door.

She doesn't answer me.

I take in a breath. "Listen to me. I am going to break this door down if you're not out of there in 1 minute okay? I have some questions, and I'd really like some answers. So, please, come out. Please Lilly. Please."

I hear the click of her door knob. She swings open the door and positions herself in between me and the room. "Questions?" Her face is pink. Her eyes are red. And there are faint black lines running parallel to each other on her face. "What questions Nicholas?"

I shake my head and close my eyes. "Go back in. Wash your face. Get dressed. We're going out ."

And I turn and walk back down.

* * *

I look up and see my brother smile at the Starbucks waitress.

"I'd like a Tazo Black Tea Latte please.", he orders.

She nods and jots it down.

"And what would you like?" she asks.

"I'll have a Caramel Machiatto please."

"I'm sorry. We don't have that."

I frown in disappointment. "Caffé Americano then please."

She nods again, and walks away.

I turn my gaze to Nick. "Questions?" I repeat. "That's plural."

Nick narrows his eyes. He sticks his tongue out at me. "That's because I have _many_ questions to ask you. But let's start with the most important, eh?"

"Yeah. Good idea. Ask away."

"Okay. Here goes. What are you doing here, Lilly? What happened at home? Does mom know you're here? With me? Did… did _he_ touch you? Did you tell her? Did you kick him where it hurts?"

I watch sadly as he asks question after question. I watch as he pulls his hair in exasperation, in anxiety.

I lift up my hand, signaling him to stop. "That's way more than one isn't it?"

"Just answer them. Please."

I sigh. There's no dodging this. I might as well get it over with.

"He… he raped me. I was sleeping. I didn't know he entered my room. I vaguely remember the light coming on. Then all of a sudden he was on top of me, pulling at my shirt. He turned me around and unhooked my bra. And then… and then… he put his mouth around my, uh, you know what, and he started sucking on it. I started screaming. I started kicking him. I tried aiming for his fucking crotch. But it was no use. He just held my hands together. He went on sucking on my nipples. And then he started licking me all over. My neck, my face, my stomach, my thighs, my breasts. And then his lips came crashing down on mine. They were so rough, so hard. He forced my mouth open. His tongue rolled on mine. he licked my inner cheeks. I couldn't take it anymore. I freed my arms and pushed him away from me. He landed on the ground. I thought he was unconscious, so I stepped on him and tried leaving my room. But he caught my ankle and pulled me on top of him. He pulled down my panty and told me to unbuckle his pants. "Fuck off you fucking bastard." That's what I told him. He just laughed at me. "You bitch. I want to fuck you. I want to fuck you so hard you're going to keep begging me to fuck you some more. Whore. You're going to enjoy it. You're going to enjoy this fuck. It's going to be good. Mmm. Yes. You're going to like me. You're going to scream, and tell me I'm a sex god. Horny bitch. You're going to love this fuck." And then he bit me. He told me to pull down his boxers. I did. The pain was too much. I pulled down his fucking boxers. And then he turned me around. He was on top of me now. And then he started straddling me. He wasn't wearing a condom. Nothing. I think I fainted from the pain. When I woke up I was lying on my bed, fully clothed. I ran to the kitchen immediately and took a pill. I left home that night."

His face is blue. He's gripping the table so hard. His knuckles have turned bone white. "Bastard. Fucking bastard. I'm going to kill him."

And before I have a chance to respond, our coffees arrive.

_End_ _flashback_.

* * *

"_Okay good. Bye Joe."_

"_Bye."_

_And she hangs up._

_And the dial tone comes on…_

_I stare at the phone._

_I've never felt so… dejected._

_So ashamed._

_So stupid._

_So humiliated._

_I'm an idiot for believing something could have happened._

_An idiot._

_Her face floats into view._

_I shake my head._

_I try to rid myself of all thought, especially those pertaining to her._

_An idiot…_

I slam down the phone.

Letting out a sigh, I run up the stairs, two at a time.

I nearly bump into Kevin.

"So? Whens the date?" he asks, grinning wolfishly.

I glare at him and close my door.

I heave myself on my bed and pick up my guitar.

I begin strumming furiously.

_I picked a blue lotus, for you. ( For you)_

_For you, little girl, just you. (Just you)_

_So take it from my hands… please do._

_This world, it's so black._

_No light, not even a little lamp._

_Evil pouring from here and there…_

… _it's not fair._

_Oh, no, it isn't fair._

_Little girl, who do you think you're fooling? (Not me, not me.)_

_Little girl, grow up, and taste life. (I'll show you the way.)_

_Take my hand, take a breath, close your eyes, and sway. _

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Swaayaay._

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Just… sway._

I look at my guitar. I shake my head. This song isn't complete. It needs something more.

I picture Lilly's pretty face. I smile.

_You're perfect face._

_Swims into view (every time.)_

_I try to forget._

_But then I start thinking of you (every time.)_

_Do you see now?_

_What you're doing to me?_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah._

_This world, it's so black._

_No light, not even a little lamp._

_Evil pouring from here and there…_

… _it's not fair._

_Oh, no, it isn't fair._

_Little girl, who do you think you're fooling? (Not me, not me.)_

_Little girl, grow up, and taste life. (I'll show you the way.)_

_Take my hand, take a breath, close your eyes, and sway. _

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Swaayaay._

_Sway to the beat._

_To the drums._

_To the thump._

_Just… sway._

I close my eyes and finish strumming the last chord.

The song isn't perfect.

But I'll keep working on it.

I put down my guitar and stroll across the wooden floor towards my window. I slide the glass up and stick my head out.

Below me, I see an angel walking alone.

Smiling ecstatically, I rush towards my desk and retrieve my jacket.

I decide to take my guitar with me.

I switch off the light, and close my door.

And within seconds I'm out the front door, on my street, calling out wildly. "Lilly! Hey, Lilly! Wait up!"

And I join her.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**I'm a friggin Pokemon master: **it makes me want to know more too. And I'm the author. Lol!

* * *


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